Chinese

Heights College offers the opportunity to learn the language of Chinese from Preparatory to Year 12. By studying Chinese, students will be given the opportunity to develop Chinese communication skills through the study of practical topics. By taking this opportunity they will be equipping themselves with the foundational skills to further improve their language ability in the future. They will also be exposed to and encouraged to understand different cultures; a skill that is becoming more important in our global society.

The participation in Chinese Speaking Competitions is highly encouraged and students enjoy the opportunity of winning a spot to go to Brisbane to compete at a higher level. Learning Chinese can open many doors for students in terms of future study and employment. Chinese is spoken throughout the world by one fifth of the world’s population. An understanding of the language, history and culture of China is a great asset for our students.

PRIMARY

Chinese is compulsory at Heights College from Preparatory to Year 6. Our goal is to offer students the opportunity to learn basic Chinese communication skills through cultural activities, iPad integration and theme based units. Students are encouraged to actively participate in all class activities to help them feel their language abilities are progressing in an enriching, engaging and enjoyable environment.

The Primary Chinese course makes use of a variety of hardcopy texts, on-line resources, authentic resources and technological initiatives (mainly iPads) as a basis for the acquisition of skills in Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.

The focus within all Chinese lessons is on creating and using a foreign language in a safe environment.

SECONDARY

Chinese is compulsory at Heights College during Year 7. Students may continue to study Chinese in Year 8, 9,10, 11 and 12 as an elective subject. The study of Chinese in secondary continues the development of practical language skills – listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Year 7 aims at consolidating concepts and topics studied from Preparatory to Year 6, while continuing to encourage students to take risks in communicating in Chinese freely within the classroom and beyond.

From Year 8 to 12 students follow a sequential textbook series that takes them on a journey of learning through an array of relevant to life topics. The purpose of Chinese in these elective years is to create a love for the country, culture, language and people of China. The goal is not to produce native-like speakers of Chinese but rather to invoke a passion that they can continue to pursue for the rest of their lives. It is also to develop a base for this passion to be built upon. Students will be assessed in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking and the use of different technologies assist students in committing to memory vocabulary, character writing and general communication skills.

Heights College also offers students a bi-ennial opportunity to visit China through our College Missions Program.